Locking mechanism for doors



April 13, 1943. J. vein-ER, JR I LOCKING MECHANISMl FOR'DOORS Filed Aug. 15, 1941 ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 13, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOCKING MECHANISM1FOR'-DOO-RIS' John Vetter, Jr., Cheyenne, Wyo.

Appiicatin August 13, 1941, SeraI'Nm '14163630'l The present invention relates to improvements in locking mechanisms for doors and more particularly for use in locking automobile doors.

t is an object of the invention to provide a locking mechanism that will simultaneously latch oppositely disposed pairs of swingable doors through the medium of a single actuator.

Another object of theinvention resides in the provision of locking means that will not only simultaneously lock and release doors at opposite sides of an automobilebut will also cause the front and rear door at each side to be simultaneously locked and released.

A further object of the invention is to provide a locking mechanism for vehicle doors having the above characteristics and including in addition lthereto an independent key-operated means vfor releasing the lock on one of the doors from the exterior of the vehicle.

The invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and specincally pointed. out in the appended claims.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will'be had to the accompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like or corresponding'parts throughout the several views,` and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional' View of a portion of the front and rear doors andthe intermediate door post with the improved locking means being shown in locked position.`

Figure 2 is a View similar lto Figure 1 withth'e locking mechanism being shown in released position.

Figure 3 is a horizontalsectional viewtaken substantially cn line 3--3 ot Figure l.

Figure 4 is a detailA sectional View takensubstantially on line 4--4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective View ofthe linkage mechanism employed for causing the actuation of the locking mechanism of oppositely" disposed pairs of doors. l f

Referring to the drawing for a more detailed description thereof, the front and'rear doors of an automobile are designated by the reference numerals 8 and 9, respectively, the usual hollow post I@ being provided, against which the doors nt when in closed position. In automobiles ofthe four-door sedan type, the door posts' I" are opposite each other and their lower ends rest upon the chassis frame andare secured thereto in a manner, not shown. In accordance with the present invention the locking mechanism for the doors is disposed within'the post 105 and the actuator is attached onthe outside of the post within the interior of the vehicle.

Bearing Ineinbersl lare suitably-secured to the rear face I2 of the post IIIl and are' arranged in spaced relation as' more particularly shown in Figure 1 off the drawing. The bearing'members I I are' formed with align-ed apertures through which extendsa vertically disposed rod |35J said rod being supported substantially centrallyofthe doorpost III. The upper end of the rod I3 is formedwith a slot I4 forreceiving a pin I5 carried by the lever I5; The other end'of the lever I6 has a portion I'I whichiextends through the front face` I8 'of the `post landto which is connected an operating handle I9` adapted to be actuated for reciprocating the rod I 3 in a manner to be hereinafterdescribed. Since the handle I9 is moved fronrtne` position shown in Figure 1 of the drawing to that shown lin Figure 2 "of the drawing and is'to be retainedlin the respective positions, a'spring 2D isernployed having one end secured to thepin I5 andtheoth-erend-attached to a'plateZI lmounted on thefsidewall` of theinner portion of the postlIlL the-tensionA of which will retain the handle I9 in'itsoit-center positions.

IThe rod YI 3 `is-formedwit-ha Web-shaped portion 22- a predetermineddistancebelowlthe upper end of the rod, said web-shaped portion `being formed lwithoppcsed endsl23 to-which are attached links 24 and 25, The links 124 and 25a'1e-rassociated witii latches 2I\andV 21, respectively, andV4 upon vactua-tion'of the-rod I3, said links will movesaid latcheslto av locked and released position. As is tobe understood, th'e'links `24 and 25 4are pivotally connected to thewebeshaped portionZZ, the other ends thereof being pivotally connected to the latches 26 and 2, respectively.

The latches 26 and 21 includev hollow casings "281 and." 29 suitably secured within the-'post I 0 andvto opposed sides thereof. A hollow cylindrical-shaped member `SII and 3| is slidably disposed within the casings 28 and 29, respectively, the outer` ends ofsaid memberslbeing pivotally connected with the links 24-and '251' as Vindicated at 32 and 33, respectively; In -Figure 1f of the drawing, thefdoors Vareshown in locked position at which'time the link`24`foverlie`s thelinkl 25,'said links being` disposed`in a horizontal" position. Bolts 31I 'and '35,4 respectively, are slidably disposed in" the members 30 and 3|; respectively, said bolts'beingfformed withxa central recess in which` is'4 disposed a` Icompression spring 36 adapted -to urge'saidv bolts outwardly into locked mengagement with thedoors 8 'and 9, the outer ends Vof said springs resting against the closed ends of the members 33 and 3|.

Double recesses 3l for the bolts are formed in the edge of each door and with the bolts disposed therein, said doors are rmly held in locked position as shown in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawing. Means have been provided for retracting the bolts 34 and 35 from the recesses 3l upon actuation of the handle I3. The upper side of the bolts 34 and 35 has been formed with a slot 38 and the members 33 and 3| have been formed with a downwardly projecting extension 39 engageable therein. By this construction, as the members and 3l are moved by the links 24 and 25, contact of the projection 39 with the shoulder of the slot 38 will likewise retract the bolts 34 and under the compression of the springs 33 until said bolts are entirely withdrawn from the recesses 31 for releasing the locked doors. The handle I9, as before indicated, is disposed on the interior ofthe car against the face of the post I and as said handle is moved from the position shown in Figure 1 of the drawing to that shown in Figure 2, the rod I3 is moved downwardly in its bearings II causing the links 24 and 25 to spread to the position shown in Figure 2 which will move the members 33 and 3l outwardly of the casings 28 and 23. As said members are moved the latch members will also be moved to release the locked doors. The spring 23 will retain the handle I9 in either position until it is again manually actuated.

The latching mechanism above described has been designed for the front and rear doors at one side of the automobile and it is to be understood that a duplicate construction is provided for complementary doors on the other side of the `automobile and in accordance with'the present invention, means has been provided for simultaneously locking both sets of doors. The rlower end of the rod I3 has an arm 43 attached thereto by a suitable means 4I, the outer end of said arm being formed with an aperture 42 for receiving a cylindrical rod 43. The rod 43 extends transversely of the automobile and has its other end mounted in an arm 44 complementary vto the arm 4U. The arm 44 is in turn connected to :a

l' rod 45 which extends vertically through the post on the opposite side of the automobile. A latch.- ing mechanism similar to that above described is vassociated with the rod 45 and as is to be readily understood the rods I3 and 45 move simultaneously to control the latching mechanism of each pair of doors. The arms and 44 and the transverse rod 43 may be disposed beneath the floor board of the vehicle or any other desired location.

A means has also been provided for releasing the lock on one of the doors by means of a key and as shown, a cylinder lock is mounted in the outer face of the post IIJ, said cylinder lock being connected with an arm 4l which is in turn connected with a link 48. The bolt 35 of the front door is formed with a projection 43 provided with a pin disposed in an elongated slot 5I formed in the link 48. Insertion of a key 52 within the cylinder lock 46 and rotating the same will move the arm 4'I and the link 48 to disengage the bolt 35 from its recess 3l. The lower side of the latch casing 23 and the member 3l has been ,slotted as indicated at 53 to permit the projection 49 to be moved as the bolt 35 is retracted from the recess 3l. After unlocking the one door from the exterior of the car, the handle I9 can be actuated, in the manner previously described, to release the bolts of the other doors.

In order to limit the reciprocatory movement of the rod I3 a pair of stop members 54 which may be in the form of angle brackets, are attached to this rod in spaced relation above and below the intermediate bearing II, by screws or other suitable fastener means 55. The facing surfaces of the brackets may be advantageously covered with cushioning pads 56. Thus, as shown at Figures 1 yand 2, the lower bracket 54 will be brought into contact with the bearing II upon elevation of the rod I3 while the upper bracket l will abut this bearing when the rod is lowered. Such limitation of the rod movement will preclude undue movement or disconnection of the bolt carrying members 30 and 3l.

Also it will be understood, of course, by those skilled in the art that variations in the hereinabove described device involving the substitution of substantial equivalents for the devices described are intended to be comprehended within the spirit of the present invention and that the invention is capable of extended application and is not confined to the exact showing of the drawing nor to the precise construction described and, therefore, such changes and modications may be made therein as do not affect the spirit of the invention nor exceed the scope thereof as expressed in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: l

1. In a device for simultaneously locking all doors of a vehicle from a central point, said vehicle having a hollow post on each side thereof against which the doors t when in closed position, a vertically extending rod supported centrally of each post, a hollow casing mounted on Y each post on the interior thereof, locking members slidably disposed in said casings adapted for engagement in a locking recess formed in the edge of the vehicle doors, means for operatively connecting said locking members with said vertical rods, an actuating handle attached to the upper end of one of said rods and disposed on the interior of the vehicle, means connecting the lower ends of said rods whereby actuation of said handle will simultaneously operate said locking members, and an independent key operated means for releasing one of said locking members from the exterior of the vehicle.

2. In a door locking mechanism, a pair of approximately aligned slidable latch members, a reciprocatory rod mounted between and movable in a direction perpendicular to the movement of the latch members, a pair of links pivotally,

connecting the said latch members with the rod, an larm having one end rockably supported and its opposite end pivotally and slidably connected With-the rod, a handle connected with the arm for rocking the same and reciprocating the rod, and an elongated tension spring having one end iixed and the opposite end attached to the pivot connection between the arm and the rod so as to swing across the dead center line through the pivot axes of the arm during movement of the latter to yieldingly hold the said rod in elevated or lowered position.

3. In a door locking mechanism, a bolt guide, a hollow member slidably mounted in the guide, a bolt slidably carried in the said hollow member and projecting from one end thereof; a compression spring yieldingly urging the said bolt to projected position, means for limiting the sliding movement of the bolt, a longitudinally slidable rod movable in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the bolt carrying member, a link pivotally connecting the said bolt carrying member with the rod for actuating the said member upon longitudinal movement of the rod,

means for limiting the reciprocatory movement a handle connected with the arm for swinging the same, and a tension spring connected with the means connecting the arm with the rod acting to yieldingly hold the rod in either of its extreme positions.

JOHN VET'I'ER.. JR. 

